Despite having only six months to pull it together, the PWHL’s debut season was characterized by record-setting crowds on both sides of the border, strong sponsorship interest and a compelling on-ice product. The PWHL staff, which now numbers nearly 200 and operates all six teams, was nimble throughout the season, moving high-profile matchups to larger arenas to capitalize on public demand and adding corporate partners drawn in by the positive buzz.
As a result, PWHL executives said the league is well ahead of schedule in terms of revenue relative to initial projections, though expenses were also higher than anticipated. While they declined to share specific figures, SVP/Business Operations Amy Scheer said the league is “basically in Year 4 of [our] financial plan and model.”
In next week’s cover story, SBJ’s Alex Silverman examines how the PWHL’s first season went better than even its founders envisioned, and while some major hurdles remain, the league is positioned to build quickly on its dynamic debut.
This week's episode of the Sports Media Podcast sees SBJ's Austin Karp take a deep dive into the "Clipped" miniseries with executive producer Ramona Shelburne of ESPN. Shelburne developed "Clipped" from her 30 for 30 podcast "The Sterling Affairs," which chronicled how owner Donald Sterling lost ownership of the Clippers. Shelburne discusses the process of adapting the podcast into a televised miniseries and other nuggets about the NBA, such as the most iconic Clipper of all time, and her thoughts on Suns owner Mat Ishbia and the passing of Bill Walton.
Karp also talks with CBS Sports’ Kate Abdo to get listeners set for the UEFA Champions League final. They discuss her work as anchor of "UEFA Champions League Today" and the comparisons it's drawn to TNT's "Inside the NBA" as well as her role in becoming the voice for international soccer at CBS and how her language skills augment her coverage.
Did you miss the sports business stories that SBJ’s Abe Madkour is watching? Check out this week’s episodes of Morning Buzzcast.
We’ve heard everyone's concerns about jobs and internships, and we want to help.SBJis teaming withTeamWork Onlineto connect students to listings forinternshipsandentry-level positionsin sports business.We’ll highlight several jobs in this newsletter and provide links to the complete lists. TeamWork Online provides the following tools for job seekers looking to find their niche in the sports business.
- Profile builder to match you to jobs
- Job applications to your favorite sports or live event organizations
- Face-to-face career fairs and networking events
- Information on educational programs and universities to strengthen your skills
Some positions that are available:
- Detroit Tigers: membership services account executive
- Los Angeles Angels: game presentation intern
- Pittsburgh Steelers: football video intern
- New York Giants: content production intern
This time last year, uncertainty and discontent about the direction of professional women’s hockey in North America had become the status quo. Top players from the U.S. and Canada had wrapped up a fourth season playing only a handful of exhibition games under the banner of the Professional Women’s Hockey Players Association. Others competed in the Premier Hockey Federation, an underfunded, understaffed league dogged by questions about its long-term viability and its rift with the PWHPA.
Even after Dodgers owner Mark Walter bought out the PHF for an undisclosed sum last summer to launch and bankroll a singular league with the PWHPA’s support, no one anticipated the success the six-team PWHL would experience in its first season.
“Our expectations were extremely conservative and low,” said Dodgers President Stan Kasten, who serves on the PWHL's advisory board. “We felt our long-term plan was solid, but we didn’t know how long it would take to launch and to start seeing some of the metrics that we needed to see or the indices of success.”
That success culminated Wednesday night as the PWHL wrapped up its first season, as SBJ's Alex Silverman reports in thisEarly Access look at next week's magazine.
A record 242 million people in the U.S. played a sport or took part in a fitness activity in 2023, according to the 15th annual State of the Industry Report from the Sports & Fitness Industry Association and Sports Marketing Surveys USA, fueled by basketball’s continued popularity and pickleball’s sustained double-digit growth.
The year-round survey, which measures activity in more than 200 disciplines, has been fielded annually since 2008 and consists of a nationwide sample of 18,000 respondents from proprietary online panels representative of the U.S. population for people ages 6 and older.
The industry’s continued strength was projected by SFIA last year, after its 2022 study saw people returning to the sports that had been put on hold during the pandemic and/or continuing new fitness-related activities that they had begun during COVID.
“We went from just under 73% of Americans participating in one of the 200-plus activities that we monitor in 2018 to 78.8% in 2023,” said SFIA President and CEO Tom Cove. “That’s effectively 24 million more people that are doing something, in addition to everybody else who maintained their already active lifestyle.”
That still leaves an opportunity for the industry: 21.2% of the U.S. population who are 6 and older, which is approximately 65 million, self-reported that they did not do any physical activity last year. That is down significantly from a several year period leading up to 2019, when the inactivity rate hovered around 27.3%, or approximately 82 million.
Basketball remained the most popular team sport to play as it has in every year of the study, with 29.7 million participants, up 5.6% year-over-year. Baseball was the second most-played sport, as its 16.7 million players was a 7.6% increase over 2022.”
Read David Broughton’s full story on SBJ’s website.
Bill Walton was a tall tale, a 6'-11" ambassador of 10-speeds, tie-dyes, teepees, redheads and Deadheads. But if not for ESPN, he would’ve died last week with only one-third the audience.
He had stints at CBS and NBC, overcoming a lifelong stutter to become a reputable color analyst on the NBA. But he wasn’t a must-have -- perhaps too mercurial for late 20th century network TV -- and when NBC lost its NBA rights in 2002, Walton was a broadcast free agent with no takers. He went to his backyard teepee in San Diego to wait and meditate.
At the time, Mark Shapiro was ESPN’s EVP/programming and production, tasked with piecing together the network’s NBA broadcast teams. He looked at a whiteboard of available talent, and the name “Bill Walton” gave him pause.
But it turned out Walton and ESPN were a marriage made in live shots, asSBJ's Tom Friend writes in this Early Access look at next week's magazine.
WORTH WATCHING: In his Forum, SBJ’s Abe Madkour examines six personnel moves in sports business that caught his eye.
UNSETTLING TIMES: Despite a tentative House v. NCAA settlement, SBJ’s Ben Portnoy reports SEC coaches and ADs have many questions, few answers and no specific path forward.
BATTER UP: SBJ’s Joe Lemire reports shared augmented reality -- and frictionless fan interaction without an app -- is the goal of ARound.
SARATOGA SET: For the first time since 1967, as SBJ’s Xavier Hunter reports, the final leg of the Triple Crown will be held somewhere other than Belmont Park.
HOME SWEET HOME: SBJ’s Bret McCormick explores how Frontwave Arena, located north of San Diego, is giving minor league teams a new locally driven home.
RISE AND SHINE: Jenny Haag’s boutique owners’ rep company helps pro teams maximize creative opportunities and, as SBJ’s Bret McCormick discovered, stay on design point.
COMPANY TOWN: SBJ’s David Broughton examines how Nationwide saved pro sports for Columbus and how other familiar brands ensure their hometowns have similar success.
MAKING A CONNECTION: SBJ’s Ethan Joyce discovers how AdventHealth relies on Parity to find sponsorship connection with female athletes.
NARROWING THE GAP: In next week’s Opinion column, SBJ contributor Shira Springer examines how investment in sports technology can play a role in women’s sports achieving greater success.
Please also be sure you and your students are taking advantage of SBJ'snightly newsletters.
Encourage your students to share their stories of how they are handling remote coursework or summer internship/work experiences.
We’re looking for listings to include in the new calendar section of ourupdatedSBJ On Campusportal. It’s as simple as going to the portal and entering the information.
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For questions about your accounts or for access issues, or to sign up your program for SBJ On Campus, email Abby Shipp atashipp@sportsbusinessjournal.com.
